Worked The Phone

I called Winnebago Factory in Forest City, Iowa.  I made an appointment with their service department for mid April.  No problem picking a date.  I guess people don’t like the 50’s and 30’s (night) to get their rig worked on.  The Baby got 5 things to repair or check and nothing major but above my level to repair.  They said they would reserve three days to work on it.  It must really be slow in April to reserve three days.  I was going to wait until our return trip from Alaska (Sept) but figure do this on the way up and then might need another appointment coming back.  After Alaska  we will get a full Freightliner/Cummins check out/oil/filters at Baltimore Freightliner.  Carol’s bro is a diesel mechanic there and we get a discount along with superb workmanship.

I called Freightliner Houston and ordered a power steering reservoir gasket.  Ours is still leaking and I will install the $13 part instead of going thru their shop and warranty.  Hey, how hard can it be?  It will arrive next week and we will go get it in Carol’s car the Mariner. 

I also called Westport Lincoln in Houston where we bought the Mercury Mariner in 2010.  It’s going in for it’s free oil/filter maintenance thing the same day the RV’s gasket is suppose to be ready for pick up.  Let’s see if it all comes together.

I ordered a K & N air filter (38-2009R  $268) for the Baby.  It was about $90 more than an original factory air filter.  Last time in Alaska (2011) I had to replace my air filter with only about 4K miles on the filter.  That was the only time I had to replace an air filter out of 4 times up there.  Since this is our last RV (again) it should be a good investment.

Then I called it a day.  Pun intended….

See ya……..

Can You Hear Me Now

Monday we will take my Mom to Woodville to see an assisted living home.  Carol & I went there last week.  We liked the staff and the facilities.  We were invited back for their lunch.  Hey, a free meal.

We got to finally meet the owner of the Gardens assisted home where she’s at now.  Carol & I just don’t like the guy nor his facilities.  He’s a money hungry person and shows no care nor respect for his tenants.  Mom picked this place in Dec and has hated it ever since.  The new place, The Orchards, we found and we like.  Now we will see if it meets Mom’s approval.  We are sure she will like it.  The we will try to get her moved by the 1st.  That will be interesting with her bed and electric cart.

I ordered my CB “stuff” for the rig.  It’s four separate items and some of it’s on a slow boat from China.  It’s a cheap radio with a real good tunable antennae plus all the mounting items & cable.  I use to be really into CBs big time many years ago so mounting it and tuning it won’t be a problem.  I need a SWR meter though.  You will be able to “hear me now” when I “get ur done.”

The “Baby” needs a little more prep for Alaska.  I need to raise the mud flap as high as it will go which is basically another inch or so.  This is so IT don’t kick up debris/stones from the road.  Then I have to wash and wax the Baby.  Yes I know I had it waxed down in Yuma a couple of weeks ago.  I will try to get to it within the next month.  I got to grease all the compartment door locks too.  I finally got my tires aired up to where I want them.  A 100 lbs across the rear tires and 110 in the front when it’s 65 degrees out.  I basically raised them 5 lbs each since the weather is colder now and will be the rest of the year basically with going to Alaska and all. 

The Jeep needs a wash and wax too.  I got a Yoga mat (Walmart $9) for the windshield.  I need to cut it down and see how it works being towed down the road.

Se ya….

Milepost 0 Dawson Creek BC

About 90 days from now we will be at Dawson Creek, Milepost 0 of the Alaska Highway.  This has been our starting point for our last four trips up there.  We will have friends nearby who are members of the Loosey Goosey Group like in 2011.

 

This will be our first night after Dawson Creek….a closed down provincial park.  Room for about 25 big rigs.

Being full timers we have already loaded the RV of course.  We are removing a few things and loading up on others.  We won’t load up on food till we get to the last big city before we head into Canada which will be Great Falls.  No sense carrying it around before then for us. 

We are anxious just like if this is our first trip. 

We will leave Livingston, TX, ABOUT April Fool’s Day but not at a gallop.

We will take it slow because it will still be cold going North towards Canada.  We will cross over at Sweetwater above Great Falls, MT about the 17th of May give or take a day or so.

Stay tuned…

See ya……..

Merry Christmas !

We woke up and had had our normal Uncle Herschel's breakfast at Cracker Barrel where we spent the night.   After breakfast we got under way for our 180 mile trip to Livingston, TX.

You are a red neck if you still have your Christmas signs up.  It’s called normal in this neck of the woods.

Now do you have a drive thru liquor store?  That just don’t seem to go together.

We stopped at a Pilot to get DEF at the pump for $2.79 gallon.  We had to drive into a big truck pump area backwards, opposite the normal direction.  Our DEF tank is on the passenger side and the DEF pump is on the driver side.  Thus drive thru in the opposite direction.  The truck stop was slow so it was no problem.  I also filled up the two 2 1/2 gallon portable containers.  I added 4 gallons in the RV DEF tank and earlier added the two 2 1/2 gallon containers.  So, that means overall the RV DEF is lasting about 4 gallons per 1,000 miles.  Since the RV DEF tank is 13 1/2 gallons.  We can go 3,000 miles on a tank and that is a very rough estimate.

In Onalaska we got fuel for $3.53 a gallon.  I jammed it in.  In Livingston the fuel is $3.59.

We got to our lot about noon.  It was 80 degrees and 90% humidity.  Whew…. we gone from a dry heat to a wet heat.   

The power steering gasket is still leaking.  I will order the gasket and install it myself in the next few weeks.  No bigee hopefully. 

See ya………

Go

Here’s what we woke up to Tuesday morning.

We ended up at Cracker Barrel in Waco, TX Tuesday evening which was 550 miles for the day.  We didn’t plan it that way it just happened.  We still had a slight head wind or a little south wind but it was a very nice drive.  It was ALL back roads which made it longer but nice scenery.

Really trashy in some areas.

Cattle and oil in West Texas

They got wind power too.

A lot of these back roads in Texas the speed limits are 70 and even 75 MPH.  We did mostly 65 MPH.  

Some little town hanging on.

 

We saw over 50 dead skunks today.  Here I thought most of the skunks were in Washington DC

A few alligators along the way too.

Got fuel in Midland at the H.E.B. grocery store for $3.65.  That should be it until Livingston.  I had the LOW DEF light come on near Waco.  I added 5 gallons of DEF that I carry.  I still haven’t figured out my DEF fuel mileage yet.

It’s Wednesday morning and it’s time to go get our Cracker Barrel breakfast.

See ya…..

Up Up and Stay

Well we ended up at the Guadalupe Mtns National Park  which was about 400 miles today (Monday).  We got fuel in Las Cruces Love’s for $3.78 cash.  The Baby got 8.2 MPG.  At the park dry camping (parking) on pavement is $4 with an old geezers pass.  Here we are or should I say there we are.  Yes,  I parked right next to the Prevost.

Along the way….. 

This is rare….

We lost the solar power about 5:15 PM due to the mountains.  Generator time is 8 AM to 8 PM.  Just another great day full timing on the road.

Happy Happy Happy

See ya…..

Gizzards, Livers & Smoked Pulled Pork

Here we are staying near Sharon & Don.  Nice lot and it’s for sale.  Not sure of the price.  The one next to it is $65K.

Now that it’s warmer the bugs are out and I had to get them off the front of the Baby before the the sun hits the front.  Then I shined the wheels…oh yea…

Here’s Sharon & Don’s place…

 

Gizzards and Liver…  We found them at the Chester’s Chicken just down the road at the truck stop.  Don and I couldn’t resist.  He had the livers and I had the gizzards…..ahhh it’s a man’s world for a moment.

We saw this rig as we came in and Sharon sent me a picture.  It’s more purple in person rather than this pic.

We took some smoked pulled pork to Sharon & Don’s for dinner.  Don was sad because he thought it was only a little bit - -wrong.  We left them the leftovers.

We visited with them after diner for a couple of hours.  How nice it was as always.  Thanks guys for the memories.

We’re not sure where we will stay tomorrow night (Monday).  Somewhere between El Paso and Eldorado more than likely.  Good weather, pretty nice roads, just drive tell we want to stop.  Hell, we might not stop tell we see the Atlantic ocean.  Nope…the weather isn’t too great over there right now.

Change one already…  We are heading directly East from El Paso towards Carlsbad probably.  At Midland, TX we stay direct East and not on the interstate.  More back roads.  We head for Waco then Livingston, all back roads.  Same mileage as our “normal” route.  We will see! 

See ya…..

Heading East & Meeting Friends

Well from Pilot Knob we went to Yuma to fill up the Baby.  We got fuel at the Baron for $3.67.  I could have gotten it for $3.62 put I missed up and used a credit card.  The Baby got 8.2 MPG.  We hooked up at the gas station and got underway about 9:30 AM.  Along the way Carol was taking pictures….

We arrived at Sharon & Don’s place about 2:30 PM or so after driving the 290 miles.  We had a slight head wind otherwise no wind.  They arranged it so we could stay on a neighbor’s lot like we have in the past.

What time is it kiddies?  It’s time to eat…..where did everybody go?

Maybe we can have one of these seven mule deer.  These guys were roaming around behind Sharon & Don’s lot.

Don fired up his cooker and fixed baby back ribs for us all.

Art & Caroline came over and brought a coconut pie.  It was good.  I had two pieces.

Now ain’t they pretty!!!!

Now ain’t they prettier???  Don seasoned them the way I like them…just a little on the spicy side.  Nice job Don.

More pictures can be seen at Sharon's Blog.  I might even be dancing.

And the moon was out.  We sat around the campfire and told stories from the past.  It was fun……

It was a good day of driving and even got better as the day went on.  Thanks you all for a real nice time.

See ya………..